Robinson R44 II N144DZ
10 August 2012 · Belgium, Wisconsin, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 10 August 2012 at about 21:00 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N144DZ, operated by Sun Aero Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Belgium, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Belgium, Wisconsin, United States
- Nearest airport
- Private
- Coordinates
- 43.5247, -87.8003
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N144DZ
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Sun Aero Helicopters
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Waukesha → Belgium
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN12LA573
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter while landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was trying to land the helicopter in a confined area, between trees, a house, and a beach wall. The helicopter touched down on a slight hump that was concealed by grass and started to slide backwards. The pilot pulled up on the collective, and the helicopter lifted off again rapidly. The pilot tried to maneuver the helicopter to remain within and land again in the confined area. When the pilot landed again, the helicopter settled down on the front tips of the skids, which then broke at the fuselage down arm attach point. During the postaccident examination of the helicopter, the pilot noted that one of the main rotor blades sustained impact damage consistent with debris being blown up into the rotor during the landing. The pilot did not list any mechanical malfunctions associated with the helicopter during the accident flight. Nearby wind was reported to be out of 350 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Sep 2012 | Robinson R44 II | McMinnville, Oregon, United States | Harris Robert G | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2012 | Robinson R44 II | Red Oak, Iowa, United States | Johnson Helicopter Services, LLC. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Nov 2012 | Robinson R44 II | Corona, California, United States | LAW Offices of James C Bechler PC | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Jun 2012 | Robinson R44 | Teisendorf, Germany | Schulter Planungs und Ausfuhrungs - GmbH | Fatal | 4 |
| 30 Sep 2012 | Robinson R44 | Nocona, Texas, United States | Darren L Fenoglio Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 2012 | Robinson R44 II | Santa Teresa, New Mexico, United States | S M Hentges & Sons Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb 2012 | Beechcraft 95-B55 | Lancaster, Wisconsin, United States | Dangberg Dennis | No injuries | - |
| 24 Nov 2012 | Scott IRONSIDES | East Troy, Wisconsin, United States | Ronald G. Scott | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 2012 | Lake LA4 | Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 2012 | Fantasy Air ALLEGRO 2000 | Bear Creek, Wisconsin, United States | Peter Anderson | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 2012 | Piper PA-22-150 | East Troy, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 2012 | Boeing 717-200 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | Southwest Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |